Al Lith
{{Short description|City in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Al Lith
| nickname = The Pearl of the Red Sea
| native_name = {{langx|ar|ٱللِّيْث|Al-Līth}}
| settlement_type = City
| motto =
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| flag_link =
| flag_size =
| image_shield =
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| pushpin_map = Saudi Arabia#Middle East#West Asia
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Saudi Arabia
| pushpin_relief = 1
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{KSA}}
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = Makkah (Mecca)
| subdivision_type2 = Governorate
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 = City Governor
| leader_name1 = Mohammad Al Qabbaa
| leader_title2 =
| leader_name2 =
| established_title = Established
| established_date =
| established_title2 = Joined Saudi Arabia
| established_date2 = {{Start date and age|1925|}}
| established_title3 =
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| unit_pref = Metric
| area_magnitude =
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| population_as_of = 2022
| population_total = 20,811
| population_density_km2 =
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_urban =
| population_metro = 73,753 (Al Lith Governorate)
| population_footnotes =
| timezone = EAT
| utc_offset = +3
| timezone_DST = EAT
| utc_offset_DST = +3
| postal_code_type = Postal Code
| postal_code = (5 digits)
| area_code = +966-12
| website =
| coordinates = {{coord|20|9|0|N|40|16|0|E|type:city|display=inline,title}}
| name =
}}
Al Lith ({{langx|ar|ٱللِّيْث|Al-Līth}}) is a city in the region of the Tihamah on the coast of the Red Sea, southwest of the Islamic holy city of Mecca, and south of the Miqat of Yalamlam.{{cite web |url=https://mighatulhajj.hzrc.ac.ir/article_183764.html |website=Mighatul-Hajj |title=مِيقَاتُ يَلَمْلَم (دراسة تاريخية وتحقيق ميداني) |language=ar |access-date=2025-03-11}}{{cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Water_Resources_Management_and_Sustainab/-wtMEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |editor1=Ahmed Sefelnasr |editor2=Mohsen Abrar |editor3=M. Abrar |editor4=Vijay P. Singh |title=Water Resources Management and Sustainability |author1=Ibrahim H. Elsebaie |author2=Atef Q. Kawara |author3=Ali O. Alnahit |chapter=17: Delineation of Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones Using GIS: A Case Study for Yalamlam Watershed in Saudi Arabia |pages=305–316 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-031-80519-6 |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-80520-2 |date=2013-03-15}} It is the fifth largest city in population in Mecca Province, and it is one of the large sea ports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea. The population of Al Lith is over 20,800 people (2022 census).{{cite news |url=http://www.alriyadh.com/2013/04/21/article827868.html |last=Al-Basrawi |first=Abdullah |title=Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud visits Al Lith |newspaper=Al-Riyadh |language=ar |date=21 April 2013 |access-date=21 April 2013}}{{Cite web |title=Places in Al-Līth (Mecca Region, Saudi Arabia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/saudiarabia/makkah/0205__al_l%C4%ABth/ |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=City Population}}
Geography and climate
{{See also|Climate of Saudi Arabia|Geography of Saudi Arabia}}
It is located {{convert|90|km}} south of the Miqat of Yalamlam, {{convert|180|km|mile|abbr=off}} to the southwest of Mecca, and {{convert|190|km|mile|abbr=on}} south of Jeddah. Its northern villages are just {{convert|90|km|mile|abbr=on}} away from Mecca. It extends to Hejaz mountains, and the cities of Adham and Taif to the east, and as far south as the city of Al Qunfudhah. The international coastal road Jeddah - Jizan passes by it. Al Lith has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh).
{{Weather box|location = Al Lith
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan high C = 30.7
|Feb high C = 31.6
|Mar high C = 34.2
|Apr high C = 35.0
|May high C = 39.3
|Jun high C = 41.3
|Jul high C = 41.9
|Aug high C = 41.2
|Sep high C = 39.8
|Oct high C = 37.1
|Nov high C = 34.0
|Dec high C = 32.1
|Jan low C = 20.0
|Feb low C = 20.3
|Mar low C = 22.3
|Apr low C = 24.2
|May low C = 27.0
|Jun low C = 28.6
|Jul low C = 30.2
|Aug low C = 30.3
|Sep low C = 28.3
|Oct low C = 25.5
|Nov low C = 23.3
|Dec low C = 20.9
|Jan precipitation mm = 20
|Feb precipitation mm = 6
|Mar precipitation mm = 7
|Apr precipitation mm = 11
|May precipitation mm = 8
|Jun precipitation mm = 2
|Jul precipitation mm = 2
|Aug precipitation mm = 4
|Sep precipitation mm = 3
|Oct precipitation mm = 8
|Nov precipitation mm = 20
|Dec precipitation mm = 21
|year precipitation mm= 111
|source = [https://en.climate-data.org/location/552269/ Climate-data.org]
|date=27 February 2018}}
History
{{Further|History of Saudi Arabia}}
Al Lith got its name from the Valley of Leith, which is located at the east, near the village of Ghumayqah ({{langx|ar|غُمَيْقَة}}).Hassan Faqih, 1413 Al Lith today is a commercial port that receives pilgrims and goods from all corners of the world. In the past, it used to be a large commercial port that receives ships from Jizan, Yemen and the coast of Africa, and exporting those goods after that to Mecca and Jeddah.
Infrastructure
The area of Al Lith boasts prominent underwater diving sites.{{cite journal |author=Eric Bjurstrom |title=Beneath the Waters of the Red Sea |journal=The Middle East |date=May 1997 |issue=267 |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-19526456/beneath-the-waters-of-the-red-sea |access-date=20 January 2014 |archive-date=19 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219110433/http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-19526456/beneath-the-waters-of-the-red-sea |url-status=dead}}
See also
{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Mecca Region}}
{{Saudi cities}}
{{Saudi Arabia topics}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1925 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Category:Populated places established in 1925
Category:Port cities in the Arabian Peninsula
Category:Port cities and towns in Saudi Arabia
Category:Port cities and towns of the Red Sea